I like slacks

"Why?", you say. Well, because mainly I find them to be the most comfortable pant choice. Just so we're clear (prolegomena?); jeans, chino's, and khaki's are not slacks. Slacks are usually a little dressier in nature. Often made of a thinner fabric than the list above. Although, I also enjoy my wool slacks.

Nonetheless, I like 'em. My preference would seem to be counter-cultural. Most people have their favorite pair of "comfortable jeans", but I find them heavy and not especially giving. My slacks on the other hand, remind me of my pajama pants, light and forgiving. Heck, I'm tempted to take a nap right now. It might be important to note that my workplace does not require such attire. In fact, I cause suspicion when I show up wearing something with cuffs and a pleat or two.

All this to say, if you've lived you life looking down on slacks because of some negative connotation they might have attained when you were a youngster, you should give them another try. They look smashing, they comfortable, plus if you get bored you can check out your thigh muscles through the thin material.

Controversy for the bored

Ok, I'm sure no one really cares about this. But I've got this freaking blog, and well, you're desperate enough to be here reading it...so...

In case you were not aware, the MLS (Major League Soccer) franchise formally known as the San Jose Earthquakes has been relocated to Houston, a soccer hotbed. Well, they recently unveiled the new name since Earthquakes and Houston really don't go together. The new name? Houston 1836. Yeah, that's the whole thing. It's very soccer, which means it's not necessarily all that intuitive to the American sports fan. But trust me, is sooo soccer. Anyway, you can obviously see that naming a team in Houston 1836 is one of the most offensive things ever, right? I mean, sure 1836 was the year that Houston was founded, but it's so offensive that they would never think that was a good reason to use that particular year?
Confused? Yeah. Well apparently because 1836 is also the year Santa Ana and the Mexican Army got a whupping delivered to them, using it as a name of a sports team is racially and culturally insensitive to those of Hispanic decent. Did that sentence cause you, like me, to yawn repeatedly?
That seems to be the entirety of it. 1836 is the year Mexico lost and is thus offensive. It is not to be mentioned again. What really got my dander up is a column I read on the FSC website that chose to defend this outlandish overreaction. In the column, Jaime Trecker states that:

Major League Soccer must change the name of the Houston team. Failing to do so tells Latinos across the country that MLS — which cannot afford to alienate any potential paying customers — doesn't care about them. MLS Commissioner Don Garber needs to admit the league and team made a mistake, apologize, and move on.

MLS can benefit from this situation. The league has long tried to win back the 'ethnic' fans who were put off by early efforts to Americanize the game. Acknowledging the offense that '1836' causes to Houston's Latinos is the right step.

As you can guess, I find Jaime's solution to be lunacy. I also refuse to acknowledged the "offense" that '1836' causes. That argument is completely without merit. Obviously, his article required a response. It's fairly docile by my standards, but I supply it nonetheless.

Do you really get paid to improperly analyze a situation and then overreact to it? We're supposed to believe bringing attention to a year that coincides with Texas defeating Mexico in a war is so offensive that those of Hispanic heritage can't deal with it? How then are these people able to stomach waking up each morning in a town named for a man that is known to have led men into battle that resulted in the death of thousands of Mexicans?
The answer is their reaction and complaints are ridiculous. This whole thing is ridiculous. The only thing more ridiculous is your condoning such reaction from the Windy City, no less. Go picket the Blackhawks or something.

Signed Farky...but you can call me 1975.